England - Peak District - Dovestones Featherbed Delight

Walk Summary

Four Ethels and two plane crash sites provide interest on this high level walk. A significant stretch of trackless moorland requiring good navigational skills. Visit Dovestones and Yeoman Hay Reservoirs; two of the most picturesque reservoirs in the Peak District.

Date: 12/03/2022

Length: 10.35 miles

Height Gain: 353 m

Terrain: Trackless moor, boggy paths, rocky paths; Landrover tracks, lightly used roads

Navagation: Very tricky. Flat featureless moor. Requires map and compass.

Start: Dovestones Reservoir Car Park

Route: Dovestones Reservoir Car Park , Alphin, Chew Reservoir, Featherbed Moss, Black Chew Head, Ashway Moss. Dovestones Reservoir

Map: OL1 Dark Peak Area

Weather: Sunny, sometimes cloudy, wind

Walkers: Nun, Calse, Mo

Gallery

Dovestones Reservoir

Wimberry Stones

Dovestones Reservoir

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Alphin Summit

Captain's Log

Traveller's Tales

"We were out on the moors last weekend and mi missus had to go for a shit. She said it was some dodgy coffee she drank". This cosy tale was loudly vocalised by a man to his two friends. They were getting togged up near to us in the car park. I wondered if he'd had any offers for after dinner speaking. I can't recall coffee ever giving me an upset stomach. I wanted to wait around to see if there was another chapter to his story but we decided to set off on the walk.

From Dovestone car park we headed off along Bradbury Lane. There's a row of old terraced houses along here. I noticed one house that appeared to have a tall glass jar of severed ears on its inner windowsill. On another house's outer windowsill a black cat had nestled down in a flower box and gave us a hard stare as we walked past. Further along, a house had a couple of stone gargoyles that gave us an even harder stare.

After the houses, the single track road transformed into a stony track, and then back into a single track road again. Eventually a sign indicated a footpath up to our left. It was time to climb our first Ethel of the day.

Dovestone Reservoir From Alphin

Wimberry Crash

It was a steep pull up to the summit of Alphin. It didn't seem long to reach the top though. There is a well built stone shelter next to the trig. There were great views from the top. It was so clear, that the high buildings of Manchester seemed within touching distance. We started walking along the edge to Wimberry Stones.

In 1949 a Dakota carrying passengers from Belfast to Manchester crashed along here. The crash was due to a navigational error. Out of the 29 passengers and 3 crew, only 8 survived. Looking at the terrain I'm astounded anybody survived at all. With so many fatalities, I wondered why there was no memorial.

Just a a little further on for the crash site are Wimberry Stones, a huge rock outcrop. I provides dramatic views down on to Dovestones Reservoir.

Wimberry Stones

Chew Brook Syphon

Chew Reservoir

We followed the valley rim towards Chew Reservoir. We were engaged in a race with an excavator that was slowly chugging its way up the road up to Chew Reservoir. The excavator eventually won, but only because we popped down to see the syphon inlet down on the valley side. Water is syphoned up from Chew Brook, that runs down the bottom valley bottom, and then transferred through a tunnel to the Higher Swineshaw Reservoir.

As we approached Chew Reservoir we could see that the excavator had accompanied another one on the moor. They were probably creating 'mini-dams' to retain water on the moor. Chew Reservoir has to rate as one of the bleakest reservoirs in England. The weather is usually dreek and today was no exception. At a height of 488m, it used to be the highest built reservoir in England until the Cow Green Reservoir was built further up in the Pennines.

The reservoir was at least attractive to the Canada Geese that had taken up lodgings on the east of the reservoir. Before reaching them we headed off-piste, south eastwards on to Featherbed Moss.

Chew Reservoir

Featherbed Moss And Black Chew Head

It wasn't long before we started seeing mountain hares, resplendent in their white winter coats. In fact, we saw a dozen or mountain hares throughout the day. Featherbed Moss trig extends upwards from its concrete plinth. Even when stood on the plinth there isn't much of a view; the terrain is so flat around it. We set off for a third Ethel of the day, Black Chew Head.

I was deep in thought plodding on the vague path over to Black Chew Head, when I was startled by a young girl bounding past me. She didn't greet or even look at me, and just bounded off like one of the mountain hares. Heart still bounding from the unexpected interruption, I turned around to see Calse and Mo sniggering. Yes, thanks for the warning, chaps.

If Featherbed Moss was an uninspiring Ethel, then Black Chew Head is rather sad. There is a poor excuse for a cairn at what looks like the highest point. We sat down on the moss and unpacked out lunch.

Featherbed Moss Mountain Hare

Slate Pit Moss - Location Of Lysander Aircraft Crash

Lysander V9403

The route across to Ashway Moss is pathless and featureless. On a misty day it may well present navigational problems. I only really use my gps to confirm a location when I think a navigational mistake might be dangerous. I decided to use it today to see if I could remember to use it's Goto location function. The GPS is a Garmin Summit from a 2005 vintage. Although there was no doubt that it accurately got me to my target location, I found the compass direction varied quite a bit. Maybe it needed recalibration. Task for the future.

The first Goto was to another aircraft crash site, Lysander V9403. This crashed on Slate Pit Moss on the 19th of August 1941. Although the pilot and navigator survived the crash, the navigator later died from his injuries. The crash site wasn't discovered straight away. It must have been a lonely predicament on this bleak stretch of moorland. A shock too since they thought they'd been flying over Cheshire.

My swivelling gps compass took us on a meandering path from the crash site over to Ashway Moss, our fourth Ethel day.

Ashway Moss

If Featherbed Moss was bleak, Black Chew Head a little sad, then Ashway Moss was underwhelming. There wasn't even a cairn on the top of this Ethel. A little way down from the top though, the views open up with a stunning vista down to Dovestone Reservoir. On the steep path down to the reservoir, we met three young men walking up. One of them was walking with bare feet. I used to work with somebody who walked barefoot, for environmental reasons. I think I probably could manage the cold (just), but it has got to be painful underfoot. He smiled at us though, so I guess you must get hardened to it.

After the remoteness and isolation of the higher moors it is quite a shock to get back to civilisation. Many families were taking a weekend plod around Dovestone Reservoir. It is a very popular area. At the car park, I noticed that the car from this morning's storyteller had gone. I was vaguely disappointed. I guess we'll never know if his wife made a full recovery, although her absence this morning may give us a clue.

Four Ethels and two crash sites, good weather, and a traveller's tale. You couldn't ask for more from the day, really.

Dovestone Reservoir

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